The United
by Estrid
Summary: Estrid, from #38, The Arrival, has returned to Earth after a dream tells her to rescue Ax and the Animorphs from the Ellimist.


Chapter 1- The Calling  
  
Estrid  
  
It was about midnight when I received the warning from Aximili. I was asleep near the scoop dreaming about tasty grass and cinnabuns from Earth. Maybe it was because I was thinking of Earth, but I had no idea how he contacted me. Anyway, just when I was about to take a bite out of that beautiful, glazed cinnamon encrusted Cinnabon, I heard the voice. It was like weak thought speak from far away, except I felt it, along with Aximili's emotions and thoughts.   
  
Estrid, he managed to say, can you hear me? I wondered if I could answer with thought-speak, but I didn't have to wonder for long.  
  
You can. Answer quickly. Not much... Left. help .. Anda .. world .. is attacked .. Ellimist .. captured me.. Warn Hork Bajir .. Andalite ... Earth.. humans.. Soon. I knew it was Aximili. I don't know how, I just knew.   
  
Aximili! I yelled. There was no answer. But I didn't need one.  
  
  
  
The next day I thought of a plan. See, I had gone from a prodigy to a War- Prince in a few years, a huge leap for a female fighter, according to the electorate. But the People believed that I had good potential, so I qualified to be a War- Prince.  
  
People would listen to me, but they might not believe me. They might think that I am crazy or insane.  
  
I decided to head for Earth to find the humans first.   
  
Milor! I yelled for my younger sister. She came running across the meadow of turquoise grass. Milor was an aristh, but a pretty good one, to her credit.   
  
I told Milor about my dream. She is cynical, but if something involves getting into trouble, she'll do it.   
  
Well, she said. If Aximili really did contact you, and he really is captured by the Ellimist, then why don't you just tell the whole electorate?   
  
Milor, I answered, just what do you think they'd say?  
  
Milor and I headed for the dome ship (the one under my command, for that matter) that was parked at the hangar in the woods. When we were aboard the ship, I send all but ten warriors offboard. Those remaining were the T.O., Prince Alfreil-Sirrou-Masiss, Captain Nairih-Thilk-Gahail, three other princes, and three arisths, plus my brother, the best tail fighter in the academy.   
  
It was strange, flying with a crew of ten in a Dome ship, but my Dome ship was tiny compared to the others in the fleet. It was called the Cinnabun. Of course, the electorate found that to be "positively childish", but I stuck to the name anyway.   
  
The Cinnabun drifted through Zero- Space lightly for about a week. She came out near Earth, near the planet called Mars. Earth is beautiful from space and on the surface. So is the Andalite world, of course.  
  
The humans had put up space hangars in various areas recently. We landed at the one in what humans called Oregon. Where Cassie lived. All of us acquired bird morphs and flew to the Hork- Bajir valley. The Earth hangar manager told us how to find it from the air.  
  
We landed in the valley and demorphed. The Hork- Bajir watched us warily. Not surprisingly, due to the Quantum Virus. I knew about this in depth, because my old instructor, Arbat, was the brother of Alloran-Semitur-Corass himself. Arbat was a traitor as well. I had trusted him. That was my fault. Obviously, the electorate believed that Arbat had been killed in action, and that there was no assassin left on board. But that was behind me now. Now I was on a mission.  
  
We had been silent up until that point, mostly because I had warned my crew not to provoke the Hork- Bajir. I found Cassie tramping through the dense foliage along the muddy riverbank.   
  
Are you Cassie? I asked. I had only known the Animorphs for a short time, so I did not remember.  
  
"Estrid? Is that you?" she answered pleasantly.  
  
  
  
Yes. Where are the others? I asked. Suddenly her face turned solemn.  
  
"They... They went to find Ax... and...", she said slowly, "and they never came back."  
  
Oh.  
  
"Anyway, come in to the cabin," she said, pointing at the pointed wooden rectangle near the stone bridge that extended over the river. I paused for a moment. So did the crew.  
  
You live in those? some fool in the back of me said.  
  
Quiet, fool, I snapped. I followed Cassie into the rectangle. A house. Inside the house it was neat and cozy. A bit small for an Andalite's taste, though. We are used to open spaces, like scoops.  
  
I told Cassie about Aximili and the calling.  
  
"Oh, Estrid!" she replied, a look of either confusion or hope on her face. "Could this mean that the others, and maybe Rachel are... alive?"  
  
It's possible, I said, but how will we free them? 


End file.
